Description:
Perennial herbaceous plant with creeping branching rhizome; stem slightly ascending, short, with 3 lower scale-like small leaves and two large green leaves on long petioles exceeding the stem; plate of green leaves is round-reniform, leathery, shiny, with a deep notch, at the base; leaves hibernate under the snow in a green state; in April, one brown-red bell-shaped flower appears in their bosom, hiding behind leaves; young leaves are silky pubescent, unfolding at the end of flowering. Flowers up to 1 cm long, dirty dark purple; the fruit is a six-nested box. The European hoof grows in spruce, spruce-broad-leaved forests, in bushes.
Workpiece:
For medicinal purposes, rhizomes with roots and leaves of European hoof – Rhizoma et Folia Asari are used. The collection of leaves is carried out during flowering in May, and rhizomes in autumn
Contains active substances:
The chemical composition of the European hoof has not been studied enough. According to some data, the leaves contain a glycoside of the cardiac group, according to others, glycosides are also found in the rhizome, and the alkaloid azarine is found in the roots and leaves. All parts of the plant contain an essential oil (up to 1%), which includes the poisonous volatile substance asarone (trimethoxypropenylbenzene), azarin aldehyde (up to 3%), eugenol (up to 15%), methyl eugenol, bornyl acetate, etc. In addition, tannins, organic acids, a small amount of resins were found in the rhizomes.
Medicinal use:
In medical practice, in recent times, an infusion of European hoof leaves has been proposed as a heart remedy, and an infusion of rhizomes as an expectorant. Tincture of fresh hoof leaves is part of the product “Akofit No. 1”, used for radiculitis, ischalgia, lumbago and other neuralgia. Studies have shown that the glycoside contained in the leaves enhances heart contractions, asarone also has an exciting effect on the heart and has an emetic effect. The azarin alkaloid affects the vascular system, increases the tone of the veins, narrows the peripheral vessels. In folk medicine, a decoction of all parts of the European hoof is used for heart disease, alcoholism, which is based on an emetic effect, they drink tincture of vodka for pulmonary tuberculosis, nervous agitation, migraine .Hoof is also used for scrofula,